Come to Morning Through The Shadows

Spawn

"Mist and shadow,

Cloud and shade.

All shall fade. All shall fade"-J.R.R. Tolkien

Chapter 27:

She tasted the bitter, grating ash that coated her lips and nose. The stinging pain of the jagged rocks jabbed into her palms and knees, tearing at the skin as she tried to get to her feet, as the world swam around here, moving as though she were trapped beneath a pool of water.

Land tilted into the sky and Lyla Baggins stumbled, a strange buzzing in her ears even as her fingers wrapped around the thin, bony arm of the creature Gollum, who snarled and snapped above her, sharp nails digging into the tender flesh of the hobbit's throat and shoulder, drawing forth the crimson blood the mingled with the dirt.

The powerful feet, that she'd used so many times before to defend herself, lifted and collided with the spindly legs of Gollum's frame.

Lyla kicked at them once.

And then again.

And a third time, until Gollum's fingers twitched and his hold eased from off of her, panting, gasping and hissing profanities at her, eyes wide and wary, but dangerous and calculating.

But Lyla did not ease her own grip and shoved her shoulder into Gollum's torso as she rolled the two of them so that Lyla was the one in power now.

"It's ours!" Gollum howled erratically at his change in fortune, legs shaking and hands scraping and clawing at her. "Give it back!"

The world still spun but a deep anger was growing in the hobbit, making her already blurry vision dim briefly, highlighted only by the brightest crimson anger that pooled into ever crevice of thought and colored her rationale.

She knew it felt wrong. This anger that threatened to consume her was not like her.

This anger was not who she was.

But, it continued to fester, continued to grow and nibbled and wrap around her, enticing her, pulsing through her veins, casting dark thoughts into her mind.

She didn't want this.

But, yet, she did.

She shook Gollum lightly and bared her teeth, eyes narrowing into a fierce glare.

'Don't you understand?!' she wanted to bellow, to shriek. 'Don't you get it?! IT's mine!'

The thoughts made her stomach churn uncomfortably and her hands shook as beads of perspiration trickled at her brow even as the laughter continued, even as the whisper enticed her.

This wasn't her.

Was this her?

This wasn't her.

Was it?

"NO."

The words spewed from her lips and she tasted the gainy, chalky dirt. "It is not yours. It is...not mine."

She pulled back, her tense fingers releasing their hold as she scrambled away from Gollum and wobbled to her feet, digging her own nails into the palms of her hands, pulling her hands into tight fists as she resisted the urge to touch the ring.

Or to touch the creature before her, to harm him in some way, as those dark thoughts continued to grow ever more enticing.

'It would be so easy. Imagine how much safer you'd be. No more worrying about him. If you just...'

"It is evil." She ground out bitterly, feeling her head pulsing, her lips quivering as tears stung her eyes.

A feeling nestled in her heart and she knew.